Today for You, Tomorrow for Me
by XXspuffster101XX
Summary: AU/OOC:Buffy Finn is in an abusive relationship w/husband, Riley. After seeing a recent production of RENT, Buffy finds love with William Pratt. He convinces her to leave Riley, but will his love for Buffy be enough to keep her around?summary storyR
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. **** if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

**A/N: Okay, so this story is AU and OOC. It was originally a story that I wrote for a fiction writing class with Buffy, Riley, and Spike in mind. I couldn't use those actual names though, so the original of this is slightly different because of that. Anyway, I haven't really done any major editing or re-working of this story since I wrote it. It's something I planned on doing based on the critiques from my classmates and instructor, but I thought I would post it as it was to get some other opinions on what I should do with it to compare. I want you to be as brutally honest as you can be. I will accept flames and praise, just as long as there are some helpful critiques within your review. I was considering bringing Buffy and Riley back to UC Sunnydale rather than keeping them at my college, the University of New Orleans, as well as putting more canon background information. However, this is an AU/OOC, so maybe you will be okay with it the way it is. Anyway, to end this long ramble, I hope you really read this and offer any advice you can. THANKS MUCH, MONICA **

**A/N2: I'm currently stuck with a halfway finished script version of HYDE WATCHES BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. It is a spinoff of sometimestheycallmejackie's HYDE READS TWILIGHT. It's quite funny and you should read that story, along with everything else she has written. That is all. Now on with my story: **

The hot water cascaded from the showerhead. A pool of steam formed around the huddled figure. Buffy Finn was beat red as she sat under the scalding spray. Her whole body shook. She didn't move, didn't stop crying. The water was cold by the time she was able to calm down.

When she got out of the shower, Buffy put her favorite black, terrycloth robe on. She took a hair tie from her vanity and pulled her long, wet, blonde hair into a messy bun. She avoided the mirror. She did not want to see the latest mark her husband left on her. She would start crying again if she did. Buffy was glad that Riley had to work today. She had no energy to play the doting house wife that morning. She walked over to her bed and laid down in the fetal position over the covers. She could not figure out why things between her and Riley changed so much since they got married. She did everything he asked her to. He was a good man, she knew he was. She told herself that it was just all the stress from his job. When he wasn't drunk or stressed, he was the picture perfect husband. It wasn't all the time. She tried so hard to believe her own reassurances, but with each hit, it became harder for her to do so. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to clear her mind and find sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

It was the second week of the semester at the University of New Orleans and Buffy was already stressed out. Three theater classes, two advanced writing classes, and a part time job at a restaurant might not have been the wisest thing for her to do. She was reading over her lines for one of her classes when she ran into someone.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "I am so sorry." She looked up into the face of a guy that fell out of a magazine. He was tall and muscular, like a football player, and had the most amazing, wavy brown hair to match his eyes. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open. She saw his mouth forming words, but she wasn't paying attention to what he was saying until he put his hand out for her to shake.

"I'm Riley Finn, by the way."

She snapped out of her trance and shook his hand. "Buffy. Buffy Summers."

"So Miss Summers, are you new to UNO because I'm sure I would remember seeing a pretty face like yours around campus." He turned to walk in the direction Buffy was going.

She laughed. "I'm actually just starting my third year here. I'm a theater major. And you?"

"I'm a senior business major." He paused before continuing. "Well no wonder I haven't seen you anywhere on campus. You're probably one of those kids that live in the Performing Arts Center."

"Yeah, that's me." She fought back the urge to giggle like a school girl. "I'm what you would call a Jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the theater. I can and do take part in everything behind the scenes and on stage." They were at the front doors of the Bienville Hall dormitory. Buffy turned to look up at Riley. "So do you live on campus too?"

"Yeah. I live over in the Privateer apartments."

"Oh, cool. Well, thanks for walking with me, Riley. Maybe I'll be seeing ya around campus."

"Yeah, no problem." He licked his lips slowly. She tried not to drool. "So, I was wondering if maybe I could get your number. That way seeing you around could happen more often."

Buffy was dancing the Snoopy dance in her head. He liked her and wanted to see her again. She stopped herself before she said yes. The painful memories of her last four boyfriends made her think twice. "I don't know." She looked at her beat up Chucks and sighed before facing Riley again. "I'm not big with the handing of my number out to people I just met." She needed to go slow and make sure Riley really liked her. As cliché as it was, she wouldn't let herself dive headfirst into another relationship without testing the waters.

Riley laughed as he shook his head. "I understand. How about this. If you're free tomorrow afternoon, we could meet in the University Center and have lunch. My treat. We can get to know each other and if you're comfortable with it, we can exchange numbers afterward."

Buffy couldn't believe how sweet Riley was being. "I get out of class at two tomorrow and I'll have a couple of hours off before work."

"It's a date then. I'll see you around two."

Buffy remembered the day she met Riley like it was just yesterday, not the long and painful three and a half years ago it really was. The first two years of their relationship was practically perfect. He didn't cheat on her like her first boyfriend. He didn't pressure her to have sex like her third boyfriend. When they did have sex, he didn't dump her the next morning like boyfriends two and three did. And he most definitely was not an extremely closeted gay that strung her along for a year as a beard like her fourth boyfriend did.

The only arguments they had were about her plans to continue with the graduate program to get her MFA. When Riley was offered a better job in New York, he proposed to her and wanted her to come with him. Buffy couldn't believe that he loved her that much. She had been to New York almost a dozen times and always wanted to live there. They came to an agreement on her education after that. She had three months of school left. He went to New York and they planned out a Central Park wedding for mid-May after graduation. He wanted her to enjoy being his wife without having to work or worry about school. She knew his parents were old fashioned. His dad worked in the army for 30 years to support their family. She thought it was sweet of him to want to be able to do the same for her, especially since his job was paying him more than enough to make it possible. She could always go back to school after a year or two.

They had a large, three bedroom condominium on 49th Street. Buffy loved being a few blocks away from Broadway. Married life in New York seemed perfect for a few months.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

Buffy looked up from her cooking when she heard Riley enter the kitchen. She went through the routine of asking how his day was while setting the table for dinner.

"Riley, I was thinking about going back to school next fall. What do you think," she said from her seat at the table.

Riley was quiet. He finished his bite of pasta before polishing off his second glass of wine. "I thought we agreed that you would stay at home."

"I agreed to a few years. I know it's only been four months, but I miss the theater so much. It's like a piece of me is missing."

He refilled his wine glass to the brim. "Well you are not going back to school. I make more than enough--"

"To support me, I know. But baby, I've been on a stage since I was four. I don't think I can give that up."

He downed his wine and shot up from his chair. "How dare you interrupt me, you ungrateful bitch."

Buffy was stunned. He never raised his voice or talked to her like that before.

"I've given you everything and you can't give up your fucking theater for me."

That snapped Buffy out of her stupor. "Excuse me, but I have given up everything for you. I love New York, but everything I know is in Louisiana. Theater is my blood and I agreed to give it up for a few years. You have no idea how hard that decision was. If anyone is being ungrateful, it's you."

"Oh, I'm being ungrateful." With quickness she didn't realize he possessed, Riley moved to her side of the table and smacked her face. She lost her balance and fell out of her chair.

Buffy lay curled up on the floor. She moved her shaking hand to her cheek. It burned from the force of his slap. There was nothing but silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. It must be all the stress over this deal we're trying to close. You know I would never intentionally hurt you." Riley picked her up and carried her to bed. She said nothing as he continued apologizing for losing his temper. She kept telling herself that he was sincere and that he really wouldn't do it again.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

There two year wedding anniversary was four months away. By their one year anniversary, Riley verbally insulted her every other day and would hit her at least once a week. Buffy swore she would never be one of those women on _Lifetime_ that let their husbands hurt them. She didn't realize how hard it would be once put into the situation. Every week he would apologize and do something nice for her. It made her want to believe that he was still the same guy she first met. She didn't want to lose another man in her life. She didn't want to be alone.

She noticed that it was almost five. Buffy gave up on sleep and went to change out of her bathrobe. Riley was on his way home and she needed to have something cooking to avoid hearing how worthless and inconsiderate she was.

She was breading the chicken breasts when she heard the front door slam shut. She put the pieces of chicken on to the small flat-top on the stove. She washed her hands and finished putting the pasta together. Buffy stayed quiet until Riley walked into the kitchen with a big smile on his face.

"Guess who just got their girl front row seats to her favorite musical this weekend."

"We're going to see _RENT_," she asked, genuinely excited.

He nodded as he walked over to hug her. "I'm sorry for being an ass last night," he whispered in her ear. "You know I never mean to hurt you."

Buffy wanted to vomit. She said nothing and hugged him back. She hoped this good mood would last until the weekend. She hadn't seen _RENT_ in months and didn't want him to change his mind about going. Riley would not allow her to go to the theater without him. He used it as a form of punishment for her. Anytime she went out, he had to know exactly where she was going and who she was going with. She was also not allowed to turn off her cell phone so that he could check up on her whenever he wanted. She stopped going out a few months ago just to avoid it all. She even did her grocery shopping online. She only ever left if Riley was taking her somewhere.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

Buffy was grateful that Riley stayed in a decent mood the rest of the week. The bruise on her cheek was almost gone and she only needed to apply one extra layer of base. She walked into her room to find something to wear. Riley had already picked out a simple, black dress that went to her ankles and placed it on the bed. She would have been more comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans. She learned last summer that it was just easier to wear what he picked out. Buffy avoided any possible reason for Riley to snap.

The night started out good enough. They had an early dinner at Arno Ristorante and arrived at the Nederlander Theatre fifteen minutes early. They took their seats and waited for the musical to begin at eight. Buffy was happy to be in a theater again. As the minutes passed, she began to feel a little of her old self returning. Riley took her hand and kissed her cheek as the lights dimmed for the show to start. It was moments like this that made her want to forget how awful he had been treating her. She gave him a small smile before turning her attention to the stage.

The lights came on Mark and Roger in their apartment. Buffy felt butterflies in her belly. It was a sensation she thought she would never feel again. She hadn't felt butterflies since her honeymoon. Buffy's eyes were glued to the man playing Roger. He was tall, but probably shorter than Riley. He was also lean, but she could see his muscles rippling under his shirt as he fiddled with his guitar. He had the most amazing cheekbones and spiky, bleach blond hair. She wondered what color his eyes were. Buffy realized she was ogling the man and turned to see if Riley noticed. She let out a small sigh when she saw his gaze trained disinterestedly to the stage.

Buffy flipped through the Playbill until she found the actor's bio. She read that his name was William Pratt from London, England and that he was twenty-four. She read on about his schooling at Pembroke College Oxford and how he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for two years before moving to New York. _RENT_ was his Broadway debut and Buffy was happy to be in the front row. She looked at Riley from the corner of her eye. Then she went back to watching the musical and William.

When the show ended, Riley grabbed Buffy's arm. He dragged her to the main lobby. She figured he wanted to get to the bar before the rush. She convinced him between acts to stay for the meet and greet with the cast after the show. She knew she was pushing his buttons, but Buffy just had to meet William. He finally agreed to half an hour.

While the cast and crew mingled with the Rent heads, Buffy searched for one person in particular. She spotted William in the center of the room. She made her way toward him and saw that he was surrounded by a group of women. She only had about twenty minutes until Riley dragged her home. There was no way she would be able to meet him with the bimbos in her way. She turned to make her way back to the bar to find Riley when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey. Weren't you sitting in the front row? Those lights are blinding, but I'm pretty sure you were."

She looked into William's face and was transfixed by his amazingly blue eyes. The scar on his left eyebrow. He also had a wonderfully sexy British accent. Buffy couldn't speak. She was surprised that he spotted her and even more by the fact that he left his flock to speak to her. She shook the hand he offered.

"Yeah," she sighed dreamily. "I mean yes, yes I was." She shook her head softly to clear her thoughts. "You, you were amazing. One of the best Roger's I've seen since Adam Pascal originated the role."

"Why thank you." William laughed lightly. "I take it you've seen this musical more than once."

"A few times, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "My mom took me to see it when it first opened in '96. We stayed for a week and I saw it eight times. Then for my thirteenth birthday, that August, one of my aunts brought me here for a weekend trip and I saw it four more times. Oh, from '97-'04 I saw it 64 times and since I moved here in '05 I've seen it 24 times. Tonight makes 25!" Buffy snapped her mouth shut. "And I'm much with the rambling. I'm so sorry. I do that when I'm nervous." Her face felt hot. She looked down at her hands. They were strangling her program.

"Hey." William stuck a finger under her chin to lift her head, as he took a step closer to her. "I like the way you ramble." Buffy laughed. The butterflies were fluttering full force at his nearness. "So," William stepped back, silently counting to himself. "Tonight's the 101st performance you've seen. That's what I call devotion."

"Don't even get me started on how many times I've seen the movie." She rolled her eyes as she looked up to the ceiling. Buffy continued talking to William about nothing and everything for almost an hour. They discovered that they enjoyed a lot of the same things and agreed that the theater was their blood. She talked about how much she missed the theater. And she reluctantly explained to him why she wasn't in it anymore.

"That's ridiculous. Why would you marry someone that doesn't want you to be who you are?"

"It's a long and complicated story that I don't feel comfortable getting into." Out of habit, she touched the hidden bruise on her cheek.

"Here." He started digging in his pockets for something and pulled out a pen and some crumpled post-it paper. He started writing. "This is my number. If you ever want to talk about theater. Or if you need someone to talk to about this long and complicated story."

Buffy looked up and saw Riley walking toward them. She reached for William's outstretched hand, "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pratt. And again, that was an excellent performance tonight." She carefully slipped the piece of paper into her program. She could see the confusion all over his face, but there was no time to explain.

Riley wrapped a possessive arm around Buffy's waist. She saw William's eyes widen in understanding. Riley glowered at William as he gave him the once over. Buffy hoped he didn't cause a scene. Instead, he extended his free hand toward William. "I'm Riley. Her husband." He squeezed Buffy's waist to make his ownership clear.

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you, sir. Your wife was just telling me some good things about you."

His voice was laced with kindness, but Buffy watched his ocean blue eyes turn almost grey. She quickly looked up at Riley with a well rehearsed smile. He was giving her a piercing look. She wondered if she would have a new bruise or two in the morning. "Sweetie, I thought you wanted to leave a half hour ago. Where were you?"

"I, uh, ran into someone I work with at the office. Talked for a bit." Riley's eyes shifted back and forth. "It's late. We should go." He pulled her toward the exit.

Something about Riley felt off, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She chose to ignore the strange feeling. Hopefully, she would be able to figure out what it was later.

"Thanks for the talk, Mr. Pratt," Buffy called over her shoulder.

"Pleasure was mine, ma'am." William gave her a wink and a smile as he tipped his imaginary hat. She risked one last look over her shoulder to see William get lost in the dwindling crowd.

When they got home, Riley headed straight to the bedroom. She thought she heard him mumble something about a shower and smelling like smoke. The strange vibes Buffy felt at the theater returned. There wasn't anyone smoking in the lobby. She didn't want to think that Riley cheated on her right under her nose. He was a horrible person to her most of the time, but he wouldn't cheat on her. Would he? She was afraid to question him. She found a piece of crumpled post-it paper on the floor. It was William's number. She traced the numbers with her finger. Even if Riley did cheat on her, wasn't she doing the same thing? Sure, she just talked to William, but if the opportunity to do more with him occurred, would she? Wouldn't a good wife have refused taking his phone number? Buffy wanted to slap herself. She was being stupid. She placed the number back into her program and put it at the bottom of her Playbill box under the bed. Riley would never cheat on her. She was just being paranoid because she was actually contemplating cheating on her husband. There was still a small part of her that valued good morals and held firmly to the vows of "for better or for worse." And even if she did decide to call William, Buffy knew that it would be to build a friendship with him. There was nothing wrong with that. Someone outside of Riley's circle of friends, who shared her passion of theater, would be refreshing.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

It was a week before Buffy called William from a payphone. They became fast friends over the next few months. William even got her a cell phone because of Riley's habit of keeping tabs of who she calls with the cell phone bill. She kept it hidden at the bottom of her Playbill box because he never looked in there. She was increasingly glad to have theater so ingrained into her. It made lying to Riley easier than she thought it would be. It wasn't until two weeks before her two year wedding anniversary that she realized she was falling in love with William. Riley was working late and she called him to say she was going to a movie with her friend, Willow, who was in town from Louisiana. It was an easy enough lie because it was true. Her friend didn't ask questions because she hated Riley from the start. They went to the movie and met with William. It was halfway through the movie when he kissed her. It was a simple kiss, but powerful none the less. The only thing Buffy could think to do was continue. After that night, it was harder for Buffy and William to meet. Riley had begun to act stranger than normal. He was working more and calling her every half hour to check on her whereabouts. When he wasn't working, he was spending every minute with her. She didn't know if he suspected anything, but she wasn't about to show any signs of fear.

It was a few weeks after their anniversary that Riley had beaten her so badly that she ended up in the emergency room. She didn't know how or why it happened. She never knew why he did what he did. She had only asked him who the woman on the answering machine was. She was curious because she knew the voices of everyone that worked with Riley and wanted to know if she was new. He also never mentioned anything about going to California that weekend. He said something about her accusing him and then proceeded to smack, punch and throw her around the bedroom. Buffy's head hit the corner of the dresser before she fell unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

When she woke up, she was in a hospital room. According to the doctors, they found her laying on the floor outside of the hospital. They said they thought she had been mugged because she had no identification. That some stranger was kind enough to bring her here, but didn't stick around. She wanted to laugh. She couldn't believe Riley would just leave her at the hospital like that. Didn't he love her? Didn't he care if she would be okay? Apparently not. A couple days after the incident, Riley left for a weekend business trip in California. She finally admitted to herself that he probably was cheating on her. Probably had been for months. Buffy needed to get in touch with William. She needed to see him, hear him, touch him; really, she needed his comforting presence.

They agreed to meet at their Starbucks on 8th Street, half way between their apartments. She knew that none of Riley's friends frequented this coffee shop. It was their secret meeting place.

She saw William come into the shop and walk straight to her. His words seemed to be caught in his throat as she watched his eyes sweep over her face.

"What happened to you," he whispered as he sat down next to her. He gently traced the bruises on her face with his fingers.

"That's kind of why I called you to meet with me." Buffy said in a barely audible whisper. "I needed someone to talk to."

She spent the next hour telling William everything she hadn't told him before about her life with Riley. She told him what happened that week and how she knew he was cheating on her. As she spoke, she stared at the throbbing vein on his right temple. She knew he wanted to say something, but waited until she finished.

"Come with me." He stood up and held his hand out for her.

She stared at his hand. This was not the reaction she was expecting from him. He didn't say anything as she finally took his hand. She stood, quietly, by his side as he hailed a taxi and told the driver where to go. It wasn't until they arrived at their destination that she found her voice.

"William, no. I can't."

"What do you mean you can't," he said as he paid the driver. He pulled her out of the cab and up the steps of the New York Police Department.

"I just…I don't know. I just know that I can't."

"Listen, Buffy. You need to do this. I know for a fact that you are a strong person. I don't know why you would let yourself stay a victim for so long."

"You don't think I ask myself the same thing every day?" She wiped at the tears falling down her face. "I can't explain it, but it isn't simple."

"Of course it is." He continued to walk her into the station.

Five hours and many tears later, the reports on Riley were filed. The officer recommended that Buffy stay with a friend until everything was settled. William offered to let her stay with him. She accepted because she knew that when Riley got home the next day, there would be hell to pay. William went with her to her home to get some of her things. She filled three boxes with everything that had meaning to her and two suitcases held all of her old clothes that Riley hated for her to wear. Talking to the police had her fearing for her life. To finally admit what was going on made it all the more real and dangerous for her. She left her wedding ring on top of the dresser. It felt like a weight had been lifted.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the BtVS characters, those are Joss Whedon's & Co. I do not own RENT or its characters; those belong to the late Jonathan Larson. The places in New York are actual places. The University of New Orleans and buildings mentioned on campus are real places. You should really consider coming to UNO for college. if you are interested (end plug). The plot of the story is mine, it's not original, but it's mine nonetheless.**

The following months happened in a blur. The restraining order, the divorce. It felt like she was watching a movie about someone else. After everything had ended, Buffy made the decision to move back to Louisiana. She had everything packed into the cab waiting to bring her to the airport. She was leaving a note for William when he walked in.

"What's going on?"

"William." She jumped. Buffy wasn't expecting him back so soon. "I, I'm going back to Louisiana. I just need to get away from everything here. I was leaving you a note."

"But what about us?" His voice was a whisper.

She knew that he loved her, but she couldn't do this right now. Buffy just needed to leave. "I'm sorry, William." She turned quickly to leave, hiding her tears.

William reached out to grab Buffy's arm. "I don't understand, I thought--"

"You thought wrong then," Buffy spit out. She avoided his penetrating eyes.

William got his hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. His blue eyes were shining. He just stared at her. She could see the questions in his eyes. She hoped that she could stay guarded long enough. Buffy couldn't have him reading her like always. She needed to stay strong if she wanted to do this right.

"You, you think that just because you helped me get away from Riley that, that I'm supposed to fall into your arms proclaiming my undying love for you." Buffy hesitated. She licked her lips only to taste salt. "This isn't a play, its real life and I can't be with you without wondering if the only reason I am is because, because you helped me and I don't want to be alone."

William stared hard at her for a moment. "Bollocks," he snapped. "You're just afraid. For the first time, you found someone you can fall in love with that won't be a bloody arse who hurts you and leaves you and you don't know how to handle that."

His grip on Buffy slacked and she took a couple steps back. She sighed as she wiped away more tears. "It doesn't matter. I just need to be alone. I need to find myself again. I'm sorry." She turned to leave.

When Buffy got to the door, William called out, "I'll still be here. So when you find yourself, just know I'll be waiting."

She stood, with her hand on the knob. It shook. She hoped that she wasn't making a mistake. She knew he could make her happy, but she needed to make herself happy first. She prayed he kept his word. Without turning, Buffy took a deep breath and said goodbye to William before walking out of his apartment to start all over.

**A/N: sorry about the shortness of the chapters and such. I was trying to break them up the way they were spaced out in my short story instead of having just one long chapter. also, I realize that this story is mostly in a summary form and that is what I need your help with. I have so much dialogue still floating in my head from when I wrote this, but I need help in changing this from a 16 page short story into something bigger and better. I need feedback on where you think dialogue would work. I want this story to expand from the B- story that it was to being a better Spuffy fic. I would even like to do a sequel where Spuffy gets back together a year or two later, maybe less. Let me know what you honestly think of this story. THANKS MUCH, MONICA **


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